Again
by Scruff the Rat
Summary: Sometimes you just have to wait and see...


**This blurb belongs nowhere in my Hey Arnold fanon; it's just a fun, little bit of practice.**

**I only own my OCs; everyone else belongs to Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon.**

* * *

Let it out.

Let it out.

Feel it.

Let it out.

Let it out.

Free it.

Over and over, he opened and closed, opened and closed, opened and closed.

One more breathing exercise and he'd be done for today...

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

Scratch that.

"Hey, Mr. Hyunh, I need fifty bucks!"

Oh joy, it was Oscar again. Why couldn't that bum just get a job and leave everyone else alone?

Just ignore him and he'll go away, Mr. Hyunh. Ignore him and he'll leave you alone.

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

That does it!

With a great snort to rival Taurus, Hyunh shot up from his yoga mat and stomped his way to the door, ready to give Oscar something he'd had coming to him for a long time.

Someone else beat him to the punch...

**BOOM!**

Quite literally, in fact...

After the hurried sound of a whimpering Oscar dashing away, a sound Hyunh would've loved hearing oh too much otherwise, only silence reigned afterward.

It kind of unnerved him.

Grateful as he was towards whoever spared him anymore of Oscar's insistent begging, Hyunh couldn't keep himself from wondering: who just did him a favor?

**Knock! Knock!**

"Yiang, are ya in there?"

Ah yes, he should've guessed.

Hyunh sighed and smiled at the familiar, rich voice of another fellow boarder...one who'd had her eyes on him for some time...

At least, that's what Gertie told him; Hyunh knew better than to distrust the elder's words. Zany or not, that woman knew a thing or two about romance just as much as Phil did if not more.

Keeping his cool (and making sure his breath was fresh), he opened the door to greet the woman on the other side.

Their difference in height was practically palpable. Whereas Hyunh easily counted among the tallest of the tenants of the Sunset Arms Boardinghouse, Bonnie could've almost passed as being in her late-teens or early twenties. She was that short compared to most women.

Hyunh never minded that aspect. If anything, he enjoyed the idea of being able to pick the feisty Tahitian up in his arms and twirl her around, his large hands running through her silky black hair as he inhaled her lovely scent.

And don't get Hyunh started on their contrasting skin tones. His shone like a sweet cross between caramel and butterscotch; hers, a sepia blend of too many coffees to count. He couldn't begin to count the dreams in which he got to feel her skin touch his or have her lips feel his.

Most of all, he just wanted to hear her say three little words...

"HYUNH, WAKE UP!"

"Huh?" Not Hyunh's most intelligent answer—he jolted out of his hormone-driven reverie just in time to see Bonnie shake her head and roll her eyes at his spacing out.

"I swear you're just as bad as my son sometimes."

A deep blush flooded the Vietnamese man's cheeks. How many times was he going to make a fool out of himself in front of Bonnie? "I am sorry. My mind was somewhere else."

_'Oh well, at least he can get away with getting cute like Milo can.'_ Bonnie furrowed her brows a little once she fully registered that thought. _'Did I just call Mr. Hyunh cute?'_

Though well aware of Mr. Hyunh's affections for her, Bonnie never returned the feelings in kind.

Ironically, the reason was that she felt the same way about him.

She knew how wonderful he was with children, especially her son Milo, who considered the man a father since he'd been there to help raise the boy ever since birth.

She knew he would do anything for his family, trying all he can to provide for it. His decades-long personal drama with Mai proved that fact splendidly.

And she knew he'd be a faithful husband. He'd treat her well, support her or give her space when necessary, be patient with her when her worst qualities came to play...

God, who was she kidding? He was perfect-his personality, his interests, his quirks, his looks, even his goofy accent...

_So why haven't you told him yet?_

"Anyway, what was it you wished to say to me?"

"Huh..."

"You wished to say something to me."

"Oh right," Bonnie cleared her throat, thankful for Hyunh's interruption, "I was about to ask ya for a pen. There's a meeting at the library today and my _boss _says I need to bring a pen, not _pencils._ Ugh, I swear the nerve of that woman telling me this now...I heard the other librarians yesterday ask her about pencils and she always said yes...but not me, oh no. God, I tell you, one of these days..."

Hyunh merely leaned against the wall, heart hammering against his chest like a jackhammer. His face struggled to hide his elation.

Goodness, he loved hearing her rant. Something about her anger enthralled his senses so much that he wished she'd take it out on him just so he could feel her tiny fists beat against his chest and her heavy breathing against his neck. Then he could take her in his arms and soothe her with his loving touch and voice.

"You aren't listening to me, are you?"

Smooth, Hyunh, real smooth... Once again, the man jolted, stuttering pathetically. "I-I-I-I...well..."

To his immense relief, Bonnie merely waved a hand at him in dismissal. "Don't worry, brutha, you're not the first one."

Hyunh merely blinked at her—once...then twice. The third time stopped halfway, ending with him on a slightly half-lidded stare. "So...you are not upset?"

Bonnie's face went hard—not a good sign. "I never said _that_, did I?"

Oh boy. Hyunh was in for it this time, he just knew. He tensed instantly.

"But there's a way to fix it."

Wait, was she being serious? Hyunh eyed her warily. Even though Bonnie was a mature, grown woman and proved as such well, like her fellow boarders she had her irrational moments; they were just more unpredictable.

"And what is that?"

He squeaked like a rubber duck when Bonnie grabbed him by the waist without warning, her head buried in between his stomach and chest, and started rubbing circles into his back.

No resistance met her actions—yet neither did any reciprocation. Mr. Hyunh became frozen stiff, his arms stretching off to the side, no idea how to react.

"I lied in a way," Bonnie mumbled into his skin, her tone unusually soft and meek. "The pen was only part of the reason I came to see you. My hag of a boss said some things about me...some things about you...I...couldn't take it anymore."

All the pieces finally came together.

Hyunh swore his heart broke.

No, Bonnie.

Please no.

_Don't say what I fear you did._

"I walked out on her; thank God it was closing time anyway. I was _so _close to clobbering her."

"You made right choice," Hyunh managed to finally find his voice, the shock of the woman's touch wearing off. His arms at last snaked around Bonnie's body, their hands rubbing circles into her back in kind. "You proved yourself the better person."

Personally, Hyunh never understood why Bonnie never quit that horrible job at the library in the first place. No, scratch that—he _did _understand. That library was the closest one to P.S. 118, the school Milo attended with Arnold.

She couldn't get a job at the school itself despite her degree in child development for some odd reason involving Principal Wartz. Who knows what went through that man's head, though considering Bonnie's track record with older men, Hyunh could fathom a hunch or two.

Still...seeing someone as strong-hearted as her take such abuse pained him greatly. No matter how much she denied, Bonnie had her limits...and judging by the sheen in her eyes, this poor soul had reached them.

"You deserve bettah than that."

Bonnie sniffled. Her grip on him tightened. "I know. I just wish I could report that witch...but no, I know who the law will back up in the end."

Of the few flaws he saw in her, Hyunh would admit the woman's tendency to be too realistic. Sometimes he wondered how Bonnie's deceased ex-spouse, Diego, managed to avoid being irritated by his wife's insistent realism.

"Then why not quit and be part of the staff at P.S. 118?" Hyunh offered. He refused to let up on her.

To his growing chagrin, unfortunately, Bonnie remained silent. No words were necessary to describe her feelings towards that plan. Hyunh gasped when he felt her arms leave his waist; he gawked after the woman walking away from him.

Subconsciously closing his door behind him, Hyunh followed Bonnie with a grimace. She was most certainly _not _going to walk away from him after this. If the roles had been reversed, she would've decked him immediately.

Not that Hyunh would ever dare strike the woman he loved...he was too much of a gentleman to commit such an atrocity.

It was just the principle of—

Bonnie stopped in the middle of the hall, Hyunh halting a foot or two behind her. Unable to see her face, the older boarder waited for her to speak instead.

"Wartz knows about the trouble I got that other school in...," Bonnie said in a tone full of regret, "He thinks I'd only upset the _delicate balance of order _in his school, too," she shook her head, "What an idiot."

_'I must agree with her there. That other school was horrible towards its students.'_ Thank all the holy figures Hyunh worshipped that nothing serious happened to Milo before Bonnie took him out. Granted, Bonnie's temper cost her son a few times at other schools, but this time the blame belonged solely on the people who worked there.

Sadly, while Wartz overlooked the misconduct of Milo's mother, he simply refused to let up on that particular incident at that particular school. So Bonnie stuffed that one teacher's head down a toilet; that monster was about to beat her child on the first day.

What in hell's name was she supposed to do?

Milo was fortunate beyond measure that Bonnie came back in time to ask him if he still had his lunch money.

Back in the present, Bonnie looked over her shoulder. Understanding and concern painted Hyunh's face all over. The Tahitian woman sighed then turned to face him.

"What do you expect me to do, Yiang? I tried talking sense to that man..._five hundred and fifty-eight times_."

Hyunh chuckled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "You counted?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point." Bonnie shifted around and clenched her hands into fists. "I swear...sometimes I feel like I'm going up against the world."

For reasons he couldn't fathom himself, Hyunh draped his arms around Bonnie's shoulders, a gentle smile awaiting the woman who looked to him in surprise.

"No, you are just going up against a couple of really big jerks. Remember you are Bonnie Mahana. You are not someone to be trifled with, remember?"

Lord knows how often Hyunh saw the woman in his arms take down men twice her size. No wonder why Helga G. Pataki looked up to her.

To his immense relief, a peaceful smile graced Bonnie's beautiful face. Her hands ascended to the thick arms around her to stroke them, their touch making Hyunh shiver instantly. His reaction intensified once Bonnie pressed her back into his front, her head beneath Hyunh's chin where she could rub the top of her head on it.

Hyunh was in heaven.

Nothing else could have topped this.

"Hey Yiang..."

"Yes?"

"I accept..."

Hyunh's eyes widened. His heart stopped. "You mean...you'd like to be my..."

"Unless you're feeling scared, old man..."

He twirled her around then kissed her deeply and longingly. His action was returned in seconds, her moans and flesh melting his sense into blissful oblivion.

So he stood corrected.

He only hoped he'd get corrected even more soon...very, _very _soon.


End file.
